It doesn’t matter how upscale your hotel is – the remote for your in-room TV is almost always a filthy non-responsive piece of junk. Research back in 2009 uncovered that most remotes are covered in sperm and urine – which is why I’ve traveled with a universal remote control for several years.

One new alternative may convince you to carry your own remote as well – assuming you travel with an iOS device. The Ri remote dongle plugs into your headphone jack, and when combined with its free app, turns your device into a fully functional remote control.

The software has a database of hundreds of devices, which means you’ll only need to do a quick setup of the hotel TV, and be able to leave the room remote alone.